The Charge of the Light Brigade
by MellowBurger
Summary: Fairy Tail is at war. Fairy Tail has been drafted to take part in a war on foreign soil! How will the mages of Fairy Tail react to this new crisis? Death, Injury, Humor, Romance and so much more! A slightly darker take on the whimsical Fairy Tail universe. Multiple pairings. Please Review!
1. The Light Brigade

Disclaimer- I don't own Fairy Tail, or anything that has anything to do with Fairy Tail.

*Added a brief history of Tiev for those interested*

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><p>Chapter 1- The Light Brigade<p>

"In wartime, truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies."- Winston Churchill

The Charge of the Light Brigade

_War has engulfed the Kingdom of Fiore! The enemy- the oppressive nation of Tiev, sanctuary to some of the most infamous Dark Guilds in the world. Its dense jungles are home to unspeakable evils, and riddled with deceit. _

_Tiev, once home to some of the foremost researchers on experimental magic, was plunged into a civil war after a rebel faction consisting primarily of Dark Wizards staged a coup d'etat on the central government. After decades of bloody warfare, marked by guerilla tactics in the thick undergrowth, and the heinous slaughter of millions of civilians, the rebellion seized power and implemented a strictly totalitarian government which ruled with an iron fist. At the head of the newly formed government was a small group with a mysterious origin and unknown motives. Having never being seen in person, the group easily sealed off any contact in or out of the small jungle nation and stayed isolated for years._

_However, contrasting its dark nature however, it has managed to maintain peace with its neighboring nations... until now. Unbeknownst to the inhabitants of Fiore, the corrupt government of Tiev was slowly amassing an army of Dark Wizards in order to secure its spot as the dominant force in the world. Without warning, the nation of Tiev unleashed its army on Fiore, wreaking mayhem and destruction on the peaceful country. In order to quell the sudden attack, The Magic Council has organized an elite brigade of 600 of the finest mages in all of Fiore, aptly named-_

_The Light Brigade._

_We meet our young heroes in a seemingly peaceful city named Magnolia, oblivious to the destruction raging outside of their secluded little city until now-_

"Oi Gray!" Natsu roared causing his dark haired friend to shoot him an icy glare.

"What d'ya want Flame-Brain?..." The ice mage sighed, annoyed by his overly- enthusiastic friend.

The Fire Dragon Slayer rushed up to Gray ramming his forehead into the others. "Fight me!" Natsu stated, oblivious to the withering gaze he was receiving from a certain red headed Requip mage who was eating a piece of cake.

"Hell no," stated the ice mage returning to his business. "I'm reading the news."

"You? Reading?" Natsu replied quizzically, his enthusiasm faltering, unsure of how to handle his friend's abnormal behavior.

"Yeah," replied Gray, "Something you obviously know nothing about!" the ice mage replied thrusting his finger at him.

"Maybe if you read once in a while you wouldn't be so stupid" Gray said with a smirk, not noticing a satisfied nod from an amused, blue haired Solid Script mage engrossed in a book at the corner of the guild; listening in on their conversation.

"Pssh..." Natsu replied, "I learn all I need to from going on missions and from Lucy!" the fire mage said with a grin. "Right Luce?!" he yelled across the guild.

The blond headed Celestial mage sitting at the bar looked over her shoulder and yelled back with a tinge of pink on her face, "Yeah, but reading wouldn't hurt either!" she yelled back.

Natsu grinned and sat down beside Gray, "So what's happening?" Natsu asked leaning forward, trying to grab a glimpse of the front page.

"If you'd let me read it I'll tell you..." hissed Gray between clenched teeth. Returning his gaze to the newspaper, he began scanning the front page, eyes darting over the headlines.

Slowly, his eyes widened with shock, and his hands began to shake. Concentrating deeply, he began to re-read in more detail what he had just skimmed before.

"Guys..." he yelled nervously, his eyes still glued on the page "get over here...".

As the fellow guild-members crowded around Gray and began reading, murmurs of confusion and shock began rippling through the crowd.

_From the newspaper._

_Fiore at War!_

_Yesterday, thousands of Dark-Wizards from the secretive nation of Tiev, invaded the Kingdom of Fiore and began wreaking havoc_ _on small towns and villages. No official count has been conducted but early estimates indicate that over 90% of the population of these villages were massacred. No one knows how or why Tiev has instigated such conflict..._

_End_

At that exact moment, a man dressed in a Magic Counsel uniform burst into the guild, his face flushed and chest heaving. He managed to shake off the confused stares from around the guild and began to speak through ragged gasps, "Magnolia... in danger..." he gasped, "Tiev...Coming...Drafted...mages...Fairy Tail," before slumping to the ground unconscious, a scroll rolling out from the folds in his robes as he was attended to by a certain Sky Dragon Slayer and Mirajane.

Erza, after shaking off her confusion, picked the scroll off the ground and began to read it. As her eyes scanned the scroll her expression turned from one of calm countenance to one of grim shock. Instantly the rest of the guild noticed the eerie drop in pressure of her aura and slowly turned to look at the red headed mage.

Lucy having hardly ever seen Erza like this, asked carefully, "Erza, is everything all right?"

Regaining her composure slightly, Erza slightly nodded and began to read the scroll to her fellow guild mates albeit with a stuttering voice.

She read, "B-by order of the M-Magic Counsel of the Kingdom of Fiore, you are hereby summoned to enlist in the military. Sh-Sh-Should you choose not to comply; you will be prosecuted to th-the fullest extent of the law."

She continued, "Sh-should the draftees not know the pur-purpose of this draft, hear this: the country of Tiev has amassed a-an army." A collective gulp resounded through the guild hall, all of them knowing the reputation of said country. "And has attacked our proud k-kingdom." Erza took a deep breath before continuing, "The following names have been selected as an elite group of mages to combat this threat."

"Woah, woah hold on!" yelled Gray obviously flustered, "Drafted!? Like...WAR? What do we know about war?!"

**Thank you to erzascarlet, for all the awesome help.**

*Yo reviews are welcome... I usually HATE writing, but this was actually fun for me sooo... yeah*

-Statefan96


	2. Chaos

Disclaimer- I don't own Fairy Tail

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><p>The Charge of The Light Brigade<p>

Last Chapter-

"By order of the Magic Counsel of the Kingdom of Fiore, you are hereby summoned to enlist in the military."

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><p>Chapter 2- Chaos<p>

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><p>Having been interrupted, Erza was less than amused. As anxious murmuring trasnformed into confused talking and yelling. Erza attempted to regain control of the situation.<p>

Her eyes darkening with anger, Erza took a deep breath and, seething with anger, whispered into the racket of the guild hall.

"Shut up."

Surprisingly, her malice-laced whisper reached every ear of the guild members who, without hesitation, stopped everything they were doing and sat down on the exact spot they were, with pure terror etched in their faces.

Having regained their attention, Erza continued to read from the scroll, "The following names have been selected as an elite group of mages to combat this threat." She continued, "Gajeel Redfox, Laxus Dreyar, Wendy Marvel, Alzack and Bisca Connell, Lucy Heartfilia, Erza Scarlet, Gray Fullbuster, Juvia Lockser, Elfman Strauss, Levy McGarden, and Natsu Dragneel."

As each one of the mages heard their names called, their eyes widened in shock. The very same thought was running through each persons head "Drafted… me?"

After Erza had finished listing the names, she calmly rolled up the scroll and placed it on the table beside her.

After an uncomfortable silence filled with confusion and disbelief, Erza cleared her throat and began to speak, "Ahem… while this is as surprising to me as it is to everyone else," she began, "we are still obligated to serve in the military when they need us."

Levy, who had been staring down at her book blankly the entire time, finally looked up, "But the last time Fiore issued a draft was hundreds of years ago…" she said, "I remember reading about it in the archives."

Erza nodded, acknowledging her point, "We have enjoyed an unprecedented era of peace and prosperity," the red head began "but our country needs us. It is our duty as Fairy Tail mages to protect our family and country," she expressed matter-of-factly.

Erza had only just finished speaking when Natsu, Gajeel, and Wendy all stood up, obviously perceiving something beyond the range of human senses.

"D'you hear that?" growled Gajeel who had been unusually quiet during the 'ordeal'.

"Yeah..." replied Natsu, turning his head to face the guild's entrance. His eyes narrowed indicating that he was obviously concentrating on something.

Wendy whose eyes were wide with shock, exclaimed, "It sounds like screaming!"

The three dragon slayers rushed outside to find the source of the commotion with the rest of the guild hot on their heels. The beautiful weather that the guild had awoken to was gone, replaced with an eerie darkness and thick layers of clouds above them. The sun looked blood red as it barely made its way through the thick cloud cover. The comfortable breeze was gone replaced with stale, dead air which clung to each and every one of them. Not a leaf stirred in the trees as the guild looked down the main street of Magnolia, which led directly to the guild. Far off down the road was a single, shadowy figure cloaked in black walking towards them slowly; the normal bustle of the lively city was replaced with an ominous quiet like the calm before a storm.

Gajeel sucked in a breath as the figure's scent wafted towards him and he subconsciously pulled Levy closer to him. Natsu did the same with Lucy, and Gray, looking around bewildered at the sudden closeness of the two couples, felt left out (he couldn't sense the figure yet) and decided to pull Juvia closer to him as well (he wouldn't be bested by Natsu, damn it), much to Juvia's pleasure.

As the figure continued to near, the rest of the guild noticed the strange feeling and began to get uncomfortable. Only when it was about maybe 100 yards away did they notice why it was so quiet.

As the figure neared, the plants it passed withered. The stone cracked and crumbled, and the water turned putrid. The guild suddenly realized that the unconscious bodies of the citizens of Magnolia lined the street, and were slumped over as though they had been suddenly put to sleep .

Finally, when the figure was around 30 yards away, the guild members heard it take a deep breath. "Fairy Tail," it hissed like the steam escaping from a pipe, "I bring word from my masters in Tiev,". It began, "they do not like insolent vermin like you meddling in their plans; and would like to ask you to stay out of their way." Following its sentence the figure was racked by a coughing fit which sounded like its body was rejecting its own existence. After the fit, the figure composed itself and continued on, sheer hatred lacing every word, "This is your only warning, stay out of our way and watch as the world transforms itself before your very eyes." it finished its sentence with a flourish of its hand. Instantly the roof of the guild behind them crumbled as though it had aged hundreds of years, sending dust and debris everywhere, blinding the mages. After the dust had settled, the mages looked around and saw, with eyes full of wonder and disbelief, that the weather had returned to its normal, breezy state and that the citizens of Magnolia were picking themselves off of the street, holding their heads like they all had headaches. The shadowy figure was no where to be seen. Completely fazed and still shell shocked, they turned around to find their beloved guild in ruins.

Like a dam breaking, every member of Fairy Tail began yelling death-threats to the now-vanished figure. Members began running away from the scene, desperately trying to find the villain who had destroyed their home.

In the chaos, Master Makarov turned into his giant form and bellowed, "Shut up ya brats!" He continued appreciating the silence, "Whoever or whatever that was has made an enemy of Fairy Tail, and dammit, if we're not gonna get 'em for it! We'll show those Tiev scoundrels just who they're messing with!" He raised his right hand ( which was balled into a fist), turned it around and lifted his thumb and forefinger. "Fairy Tail!" he yelled and the rest of the guild, who were awed by his demeanor and confidence, followed suit yelling in unison, "Fairy Tail!"

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><p><strong>Thank you to Pikaskye, erzascarlet, and Know-Your-Place for all the awesome help.<strong>

*Reviewing would be cool, just to let me know how I'm doing*

-Statefan96


	3. Half a League Onward

Disclaimer- I don't own Fairy Tail

**Leave a Review?**

**Maybe?**

**Please?**

* * *

><p>The Charge of The Light Brigade<p>

Last Chapter-

"This is your only warning, stay out of our way and watch as the world transforms itself before your very eyes."

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><p>Chapter 3- Half a League Onward<p>

_"You don't develop courage by being happy in your relationships everyday. You develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity."_

_Epicurus_

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><p>With the recent destruction fresh in their minds, the mages of Fairy Tail began the clean up work, while at the same time, sending out groups of mages to check on the residents of Magnolia.<p>

After a few days of repairing the guild and aiding the residents, Master Makarov called a meeting with the drafted members of Fairy Tail.

Sitting in his office of the damaged guild, he began to speak, "War is a senseless act," he said to them simply, "Whether we like it or not, we have been dragged into this senseless violence…" he continued. "I, myself WILL be going to aid the Magic Council with the war efforts. If any of you listed on the draft sheet would not like to take part in this dreadful ordeal, speak up now and no harm or disgrace will fall upon you."

Looking at his 'children' he saw them wiggle uncomfortably, but no one spoke up. He continued in a softer tone, "If you DO choose to be drafted or volunteer, I expect that you will serve to the utmost of your ability as a soldier of Fiore!" he continued with renewed gusto, "Now the time has come, who will stand with me!?" he yelled, fire blazing in his eyes.

The gathered mages erupted into cheers as everyone stood up to show their resolve.

"Then we go to war!" cried the guild master eliciting an, "I'm all fired up!" from Natsu and a trademark "Gihi" from Gajeel.

"We will travel to Crocus in a weeks time, so prepare yourselves." the guild master warned as the new 'recruits' filed out of his office.

**Natsu & Lucy**

Natsu and Lucy strode out of the office chatting with each other about the upcoming events, "Man, I wonder how Happy's doing… I need to tell him I'll be gone for a while," Natsu murmured to himself.

Lucy heard her friend's mumbling and gave him a light pat on the arm, "I'm sure he'll understand," she said softly, "he's off on a mission with Lily and Carla, that'll take a while." She brightened slightly, "If all goes well we might be back before he even realizes we're gone!" she stated happily.

Nastu's face immediately lit up, "Yeah!" he replied. "All I need to do is bust a few guys up and we're home right?"

Lucy chuckled weakly, "It may be more difficult than that".

Despite Lucy and Natsu's seemingly calm demeanor, both were wrestling with doubt and fear. War, something not seen for hundreds of years in Fiore, and yet they were expected to be in the front lines. Having only heard about the details of battles through stories and textbooks, Lucy and Natsu were blissfully ignorant of the trials awaiting them.

**Gajeel & Levy**

Walking in the opposite direction of the Fire Dragon Slayer and Celestial wizard, Gajeel and Levy were conversing amongst themselves as well.

"Gihi," Gajeel chuckled, "What are those council fools thinking, drafting you? Do they think you'll be able to read people to death?"

The Iron-Dragon slayer chuckled again at his own wit, drawing an annoyed glance from Levy, "You know I'm not too sure myself," Levy snapped back, "I may not be able to overpower anyone in combat, but I bet that YOU can't decode a cipher!" she retorted angrily.

Seeing her face gazing angrily upwards at him caused something to stir in Gajeel, He felt the warmth of her presence and her intoxicating smell of paper and ink. He looked down with a smirk, "It's probably for the best if you're not on the front lines," he said. Looking up in the opposite direction of Levy he continued softly, his voice cracking, "I couldn't stand to see you hurt… again."

Levy felt a surge of compassion and thankfulness, hearing this from the Iron Dragon Slayer who was known to keep a tight lid on his emotions. She replied just as softly, "It would crush me to see you hurt too…"

The Iron Dragon Slayer returned his gaze to her, grinning from ear to ear, "But I can take it," he stated matter-of-factly.

Suddenly he crouched down leveling his face with hers and looking her straight in her golden, brownish eyes, "Promise me one thing," he said, "If your life is ever on the line… you run."

"And leave my family behind?" Levy responded sounding hurt, "I would never do that!"

Gajeel looked impatient and distraught, "Please Shrimp, if anything else, you run and get help, but do not endanger yourself…" He put his hands on both of her shoulders and lowered his head: a sign of great internal turmoil, "I can't lose you..." he whispered sending shivers down Levy's spine.

Shocked at the sudden break down of the usually stalwart dragon slayer, Levy grabbed his face and made him realign his gaze with hers, his red eyes full of emotion and pleading. "I will never leave my family behind!" she said crossly, "And don't you dare think that I can't take care of myself! I may have said that I can't overpower an enemy, but I said nothing about out-thinking them!"

Levy stared confidently into his eyes, but said in a softer, yet still confident tone, "I can take care of myself Gajeel. You don't have to constantly worry about me…" She then pulled him in for a hug.

Gajeel, mind racing with emotion and confusion, put his arms awkwardly around the tiny mage and squeezed her tight praying that he would be able to do this again in the future.

**Gray & Juvia**

Hanging around the office entrance after everyone had left was a certain ice and water mage coolly chatting about the upcoming events.

"Juvia just hopes…" the water-mage began, a tinge of pink on her cheeks, desperately grasping at her skirt, "Juvia just hopes she and Gray-sama will be able to stay together."

"I'm sure we will," Gray replied. "All of the best mages in Fiore will be gathering together for this war."

Juvia looked downcast as she saw he hadn't understood what she'd meant. "Yes…" Juvia stated and began to walk away from Gray.

Gray, the romantic dunce he may be, realized her hurt expression and grabbed her arm, turning Juvia towards him. With his dark eyes staring directly at her, he confided, "I know we'll be able to stay together…" Gray continued eyes still fixed on hers, "Because whatever happens, I'll stay by your side."

Juvia, who was caught off guard by the ice mage was immediately sent into her land of fantasy, "Gray-sama…" she whispered, unable to fully comprehend what had transpired.

Gray was equally shocked at himself, "What am I saying?" he thought to himself, and with an awkward glance at Juvia stalked away pondering his unusual outburst.

Juvia didn't even realize his departure, as she was still engrossed in her own imagination.

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><p><strong>Master Makarovs Office<strong>

Master Makarov sunk lower into his chair, head in his hands.

"What is happening...?" he asked himself. "Why now?" He slowly got out of his chair and walked over to the window. Staring outside, deep in contemplation, he could see his 'brats' enjoying the beautiful weather; a dull ache rose in his chest. "What is going to happen to us?" he thought as he slowly walked out of the room.

**Thank you to Pikaskye, erzascarlet, and Know-Your-Place for all the awesome help.**

*Reviewing would be cool, just to let me know how I'm doing* (actually it would be freaking awesome, who am I kidding?)

***I already have Chapter 4 written, I just need to post it. Some interesting stuff happens...**

-Statefan96


	4. Valley of Death

**Leave a Review?**

**Maybe?**

**Please?**

**Listen, I'm writing chapter 5 right now... but I could still use ideas for plot development. Where do YOU want the story to go? I think that in a couple of chapters is where we'll really get to the good stuff ie. fighting, foreign soil, (Death), cause of the war? Anyway leave a review telling me where this should go.**

**Thanks!**

**Statefan96**

Disclaimer- I don't own Fairy Tail

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><p>The Charge of The Light Brigade<p>

Last Chapter-

"Then we go to war!"

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><p>Chapter 4- Valley of Death<p>

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><p>Setting: In the southern portion of Tiev, province of Gola.<p>

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><p>Three hooded figures stalked through the jungle… The lead figure, masculine in structure flanked by the two others who were clearly feminine as their hourglass figures were showing through their cloaks.<p>

The night was calm, but the air was humid and thick: an early indicator of the storms that frequented the tropical, forested nation.

On either side of the mysterious company were towering mountains, thick with foliage and trees. The night air was a cacophony of screeches and howls of the native wildlife, not all friendly to intruders.

While trudging through the undergrowth, one of the following figures let out a dramatic sigh.

"Great..." the woman huffed, causing the other woman to the left of her to shoot her an annoyed glance. Unperturbed the woman continued "Do you know how long it took me to clean these shoes off the LAST time we trudged through this muck!?"

"Meredy, we've been through this before..." sighed the other woman "If you don't want to clean them off, don't bring them into a jungle for god's sake".

"But these are my LUCKY shoes!" Meredy retorted, "They bring me good luck... so long as I keep them clean."

The other woman began to bicker back to the pink-headed girl "There isn't anything lucky about those damn sho-" she was stopped mid-word when she tripped over a root and promptly face-planted into the mud.

Meredy screeched with laughter "Ul..." she gasped, tears running down her face before staggering over to help her friend to her feet.

The lead man spoke for the first time, "I wish I had your Time-Ark, Ultear..." he began "Just so that I could see you do that over and over again!" he finished with a wide grin.

Ultear was beyond pissed, she shot back in a mocking voice, "I'll tell Erza how you nearly peed yourself when that snake snuck into your sleeping bag." she nodded defiantly with an evil glint in her eye.

"Alright! Alright!" the lead figure replied with obvious fear in his voice "I was kidding!" he added apologetically "Please don't tell Erza" he finished pleadingly.

"Hmph, fine..." Ultear replied, noticing the relieved look on her companions face. "Let's keep moving. It's getting dark."

The group continued, trudging through the mud and hacking at the undergrowth to make a path. They walked for what seemed like ages until...

The lead figure stopped in his tracks causing the two followers to almost bump into said person.

"Jellal!" whispered one of the following figures, "What the hell?! Why did we stop?"

The lead figure pulled back his hood to reveal a thick head of blue hair, "Be quiet Meredy!" he replied earnestly, scanning his surroundings. "Something doesn't feel right…" he finished whispering to his companions.

"Jellal…" whispered the other follower, removing her hood revealing her long dark hair and trademark headband, "We've been walking in through this valley for weeks and haven't found a single clu-…" She was halted by Jellal putting a hand over her mouth.

Leaning his head in just by her right ear he whispered, "Ultear, stay down and don't make a sound…" he slowly pulled away from her face with panic written on his.

As the three of them sat in complete stillness, none of them daring to take a breath, a deafening roar split the silence.

It sounded as though the roar was reverberating through the ground, causing small tremors to rock the earth. The sound of cranking bedrock and screeching animals was deafening, but between the roar and everything else, it was downright painful.

It sounded as if the very ground beneath their feet was ready to shatter, resulting in the three Crime Sorciere members to hold their heads in an attempt to block out the sound.

Through the chaos, Jellal managed to scream, "RUN!" And took off in the opposite direction of the sound with Meredy and Ultear directly behind him.

As suddenly as it had started, the roar stopped, sending echoes bouncing through the mountains and valleys of southern Tiev.

Even after the echoes had faded, the three companions continued to sprint away from the scene, constantly scanning the skies for some unknown foe.

Finally, after hours of running, the three found a cave and heaved themselves inside. Jellal scanned the area outside checking if the coast was clear before slumping down beside the two winded females.

"J-Jellal…" gasped Ultear through gulps of air, "Wh-What was that?" Terror was laced in her words.

Much to the surprise, and horror of the women sitting in the cave, Jellal turned white as a sheet and shook his head in a dumbfounded way and muttered, "I have no idea..."

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><p>Back in Magnolia on the day of departure:<p>

Dawn breaks over Magnolia, scattering long shadows over the sleepy city. We meet our heroes in front of their guild, with fellow guildmates wishing them good luck and safe travels.

Mirajane, the resident barmaid and S-Class takeover mage, sighs deeply and casts a long glance at a blond-headed Lightning mage being enveloped by the Raijinshu, all three sobbing hysterically.

She casually glides over to the "scene" and manages to pry Laxus from his teary eyed team members.

"Whats up?" Laxus asked as one of his eyebrows raised quizzically.

"I just wanted to wish you good luck..." Mirajane replied somberly staring down at her feet "I just want you to know that you mean a lot to me" she continued, eyes still gazing intently at the pavement hoping he wouldn't see the blush creeping up her face.

He did.

Without warning he grabbed her chin carefully and tilted her head up to look at him, her blue eyes gazing into his "Mira..." he chuckled softly, "You mean a lot to me too..." he winked at her "Don't let that go to your head now!"

Mira punched him in the arm lightly "I'm not one of the Raijinshu, constantly fawning over you!" she retorted eyes gleaming, with fake anger in her voice, "I just wanted to tell you not to die is all."

Laxus laughed heartily, throwing his head back "me... die?" he cackled, but returning his gaze to Mirajane quipped, "I'm the strongest, don't you know that?".

Mirajane suddenly pulled him in for a hug and whispered in his ear "I know..."

The two of them stood locked in an embrace for what seemed like an eternity, not noticing the giggles and glances they were receiving from the rest of the guild.

"Alright ya brats!" the master shouted over everyone, breaking the relative peace "We're off!" "Macao you're in charge!" he yelled, eliciting a smug smirk from the older fire-mage and a frown from Wakaba.

"Let's go! We're going to miss the train!" he bellowed turning away from the guild and beginning to walk down the street. Natsu and Gajeel both exchanged a glance before turning green and following their master.

With final goodbyes shouted as they departed, the thirteen Fairy Tail mages headed towards the train station with mixed feelings and emotion weighing on their hearts.

**Thank you so much to Pikaskye, erzascarlet and Know-Your-Place for all the wonderful help.**


	5. Cannons To the Right of Them

Disclaimer- I don't own Fairy Tail

**Please Review!**

**Thanks to erzascarlet for her beta-ing go check her out!**

The Charge of the Light Brigade

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><p>Last Chapter-<p>

"J-Jellal…" Ultear gasped through gulps of air, "Wh-What was that?" Terror was laced in her words.

Much to the surprise and horror of the women sitting in the cave, Jellal turned white as a sheet and shook his head in a dumbfounded way and muttered, "I have no idea..."

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><p>Chapter 5- Cannons To the Right of Them<p>

_Rolling country-sides and forests race past as the train blazes onward. The sun has nearly set, and the beautiful red and pink sunset is nearly engulfed by the encroaching darkness of night. In the east, a huge harvest moon rises an unnatural shade of red, a light-crimson color. A hue similar to that of blood._

_Wet meet the thirteen drafted mages of Fairy Tail, as they travel to Crocus, the blooming capitol of Fiore and the center of the war efforts._

"Blerghh..." Natsu moaned hunched over in his seat.

The rocking of the train had rendered the normally indomitable Fire-Dragon Slayer a pathetic, nauseous mess.

Gajeel, sitting across from Natsu was not faring any better than his rival.

"Shut up..." Gajeel hissed, his hands hugging his own stomach tightly, obviously suffering from the train's motion as well.

He continued warily, careful not to cause another wave of nausea "I knew you couldn't handle it... Gihi, I guess I win."

He smirked slightly before nearly losing his lunch as the train hit a bump.

Levy, Lucy, Erza, Wendy and Juvia were all sitting in the row across from their two pathetically incapacitated guildmates.

"I can't believe them!" sighed Lucy with her head resting on her hand while glancing over at Natsu and Gajeel.

"Even now they think that this is a competition... for who can last the longest without puking nonetheless!".

Erza, Juvia, Wendy and Levy all laughed, agreeing that the dragon-slayers were too competitive for their own good.

Levy chimed in, abruptly changing the subject, "Do any of you know what the Magic Council plans to have us do?" she questioned, which resulted in the faces of her friends instantly turning sullen and focused.

"I don't know..." Erza replied, "but I imagine we'll be the ones that have to deal with Tievs mages" she stared out the window, her dark eyes concentrating on the landscape rushing by, "we're the only ones that can..."

The female mages sat in silence, wrapped in deep thought, that is, until Gray burst into their car with a worried expression on his face.

"Guys we're almost there..." he said. "You need to come see this."

The mages all traveled to the front of the train to see what all the fuss was about, and the sight which met their eyes was shocking to say the least.

Crocus, often called one of the most beautiful cities in Earthland, was disfigured and scarred by hideous battlements. To their right, intently staring out the windows of the train; the mages of Fairy Tail could see barricades which were constructed around the city, made of stacked sandbags, small lachryma-powered cannons and magic pulse rifles perching on top.

All around the city, plumes of smoke were rising into the night like signals to some unseen conflict. Huge floodlights around the perimeter of the city eerily illuminated the ramparts. From their viewpoint they could see platoons of soldiers lining the makeshift walls, damaged and crumbling buildings behind them.

Master Makarov grasped the windowsill as if to steady himself, shaking his head slowly.

Looking at the floor he began to speak.

"Take a good look..." he said softly to the gathered mages "this is wars_ true_ nature, it takes peace and beauty and desecrates them leaving death and destruction in its wake."

He paused for a moment before looking up at his 'children' somberly.

"Listen up... what you will experience soon has been called nothing short of hell." "But be warned" he continued "The first casualty when war comes is truth".

The assembled mages stared at him strangely, not comprehending his cryptic message.

Noticing their confusion he ushered them closer to him.

Whispering so that no one besides the Fairy Tail mages could hear, he explained himself.

"Just don't believe everything they tell you, they may feed you lies and half-truths..."

He leaned forward, the rest of the mages huddling in to hear him.

"This war is blanketed in mystery. We don't know why Tiev attacked, or who they even are." he finished slowly "Just stay on your toes."

The thirteen mages all nodded in agreement.

After he had finished, a voice crackled over the intercoms.

"_Now entering Crocus Train Station, prepare to depart_."

As soon as the doors opened, the draftees were whisked away under heavy armed guard, albeit in a flurry of protests.

Nearly running through the city, the escorts were taken directly to Mercurius, or what is known as the 'Palace of the Kings'.

After being ushered into the immense, ornately decorated main hall, the thirteen met an awe-inspiring sight.

Master Makarov immediately walked away waving to his 'brats'.

"Don't get into too much trouble1" he yelled over his shoulder.

Before them were hundreds of mages of all different guilds and magic. All of them were conversing with one another, and all seemed on edge.

Standing awkwardly in the gargantuan doorway, the mages were relieved when a group of familiar looking faces walked up to greet them.

At the front of the group were Jura Neekis and Lyon Vastia both of Lamia Scale, along with Ichiya Kotobuki of Blue Pegasus followed, as usual, his three 'students' Hibiki Lates, Ren Akatsuki, and Eve Tearm. At the back of the group waving shyly was Chelia Blendy whom is also of Lamia Scale.

"Chelia!" Wendy cried before running to her friend.

"Wendy!" the Sky-God slayer replied before they met for a hug.

As the two Sky-mages chatted and caught up, Ichiya began addressing the twelve.

"Men" he began in his usual fashion, "it is good to smell some familiar parfum..." he waltzed up to Erza and inhaled loudly, his nose twitching, which was met promptly by Erza's armored fist; sending him flying across the hall.

"Some people never learn..." sighed the Requip mage.

Jura, in the absence of Ichiya, stepped forward to address the Fairy Tail mages.

"My friends, it's good to see you..." he said whilst bowing slightly, "how was your journey?" he asked politely.

"Awful..." mumbled Gajeel and Natsu simultaneously.

"It was MAN!" yelled Elfman, causing the rest of the mages to laugh.

"Juvia thought it was good too..." interjected the Water-mage, continuing cautiously "but Juvia noticed on the train that the city looks ready for war..."

"The city is not ready for war..." replied the Wizard Saint, his voice shaking, very unusual for the composed earth-mage "it has already been attacked..." he finished solemnly, his voice cracking slightly.

A sharp intake of breath was heard throughout the group as Jura continued "It was three days ago... Crocus had been preparing for war by building the barricades, but no one expected them to infiltrate the heart of the city..."

_Flashback- Three Days Prior_

_Lamia Scale has just arrived in Crocus under orders from the Magic Counsel. Similar to the mages of Fairy Tail, Lamia Scale was rushed to Mercurius and were told to wait for further instructions. _

_Whilst waiting in the massive greeting-hall, the mages began to hear screaming and a sound that was eerily similar to the crackling of fire._

_Rushing outside, Jura, Lyon and Chelia found Crocus engulfed in thick, pitch-black smoke. _

_Glancing around quickly they spotted dozens of masked, hooded figures wreaking havoc on the inhabitants of Crocus as well as setting fire to buildings._

_Chaos reigned as the Magic Counsel Forces who had been guarding the city from atop the barricades were quickly overwhelmed, seemingly powerless before the sudden, terrifying ambush of attackers. _

_Jura, Chelia and Lyon quickly jumped into action, beating back the attacking forces, slowly regaining control the city, mostly thanks to the power of the Wizard Saint, and his awe-inspiring earth-attacks._

_However, the fight was a devastating loss for Fiore. While battling throughout the city the members of Lamia Scale were surrounded by death and destruction, the likes of which hadn't been seen in an age. Crumbling buildings, bodies in the streets, and the screams... the screams would continue to haunt their very existence._

_After the battle, an official casualty count was taken._

_Overall Crocus had lost over 75% of their defensive forces and hundreds of civilians had died in the fires, and brutal massacre. Many of the hooded figures were killed but a great number managed to escape in the chaos._

_End Flashback_

"We still have no idea how they managed to get into Crocus..." continued Jura "let alone Fiore."

The mages of Fairy Tail, after hearing his horrendous recount of the battle, stood in stunned silence.

Before anyone could speak, the blaring of trumpets broke the mages of their trance.

At the far end of the hall, standing on a small balcony overlooking the 600 mages stood the King of Fiore.

A hushed silence fell over the hall.

"Mages of Fiore..." the king began "you have been called here today not knowing the circumstances of why you were drafted."

He continued "Each one of you will be assigned to a special team, and in this team you will operate throughout the remainder of this conflict."

"I will meet with each guild separately and in complete secret to discuss the matter of your assignment... until then." He finished quickly and stalked off the balcony leaving the 600 to wonder about their assignment.

"I wonder where we'll be assigned..." asked Lucy worriedly, drawing nods from some of the other members of the guild "I just don't know how I'd cope on the front lines.."

"Don't worry about it Luce!" Natsu chimed in "I'll protect you no matter what!" H replied with his trademark smile.

Lucy was overcome by emotion and hugged him tightly, "I know you will..." Natsu smiled even wider and patted her back.

Alzack and Bisca, at the same time, were chatting quietly in a corner "I wouldn't mind being placed in a marksman squad... muttered Bisca staring down at her rifle, " You and I would fit right in" she joked.

"Yeah ..." sighed Alzack "I just don't know how I feel about using my magic to take a life though... will I be able to do it?" he asked himself, staring down at his hands.

Bisca inched closer to him and put her head on his shoulder "With any luck you won't have to..."

Also discussing their possible assignments were Gajeel and Levy.

"I wouldn't mind being put in an information role..." Levy said to herself "being able to read all day... I would fit in perfectly!"

Gajeel chuckled "You sure would... but I don't know how they'd feel with having a bookworm so close to such important papers... they might think you'll take them" he grinned looking down at the Solid-Script Mage.

She replied softly "I know where you'll be though... right on the front lines risking your life." she lowered her eyes "I can't lose you" she whispered.

Gajeel, shocked that she hadn't snapped back at his little joke was completely out of his element. He pulled her in for an awkward hug thinking "_What the hell! Why do I keep hugging her!"_ before she pushed him away and wiped her eyes.

"Listen to me Gajeel..." she said sternly "You will not die because if you do there will be hell to pay!" she finished staring up at the Iron-Dragon Slayer defiantly.

He chuckled softly, staring into her eyes

"Of course I won't".

**Next Chapter "Assignment" and we finally go to Tiev!**


	6. Assignment

Disclaimer- I don't own Fairy Tail

**Please Review!**

The Charge of the Light Brigade

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><p>Last Chapter-<p>

"Crumbling buildings, bodies in the streets, and the screams... the screams would haunt their very existence."

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><p>Chapter 6- Assignment<p>

_After the announcement that the King would personally assign 600 mages to special teams, the mages of Fairy Tail waited for three days to receive their summons. We meet them in one of the rooms of Mercurius 'The Palace of the Kings'._

All the mages of Fairy Tail, excluding Master Makarov were staying in a single room.

That's right, _one room._

However, contrary to what was expected, they had yet to destroy their living quarters, or even a single part of Crocus. Overall, one could say they were on their best behavior.

Nonetheless, after three days of waiting in their gargantuan, suite-style apartment (which could easily have accommodated their entire guild), they were beginning to experience a touch of cabin fever.

In the huge living-room area, the mages were sprawled on numerous couches and recliners that dotted the floor.

Laxus, who had been passing time using his lightning to shock and surprise the female members of the group, sat up in his chair looking for a new target that would satisfy his amusement.

Locking his gaze on Levy, who was completely absorbed by a book, he rubbed his thumb and forefinger together to create a miniature lightning-bolt. He proceeded to guide the charge across the floor unnoticed by anyone until it snaked up the chair she was sitting in. Inches from her thigh, Laxus snapped his fingers causing the bolt to jump forward and zap the Solid-Script mage.

Levy let out a shrill scream of surprise causing the gathered members of Fairy Tail to nearly jump out of their skin.

Erza, had been peacefully enjoying a piece of cake made by the chefs of Mercurius, jumped so much that her cake fell of her lap and landed upside-down on the floor.

Natsu who had been showing off his fire-breathing ability, even though no one was looking, coughed in shock and promptly lit the huge, ornate, curtains on fire.

Laxus, thoroughly enjoying the mayhem he caused, let out a hearty laugh, which was met by a blood-chilling glare from Erza and a mad scramble from the rest of the draftees to put out the fire which was quickly spreading.

After the fire had been put out, Gajeel stomped up to Laxus who was lying down on the couch with his hands behind his head and a smirk on his face.

Gajeel growled angrily "What the hell Laxus..." he continued, grinding his teeth, trying to restrain himself "why'd you shock Shrimp?"

Laxus looked the Iron-Dragon Slayer dead in the eye.

"I was bored." he replied shortly, causing Gajeel to fume with anger.

"If you're so damn bored how 'bout I beat some interest into you?" Gajeel yelled while turning his forearm into a pillar of solid steel.

Laxus' eyes narrowed, the air around him crackling with electricity, "You can try metal-man..." he said quietly.

Levy, hoping to defuse the tense situation, ran up in-between the two dragons.

Grabbing Gajeel by the arm, she tugged on him lightly and said softly "It's fine... it didn't even hurt."

Gajeel looked into her eyes and relaxed upon seeing her face beaming up at him.

"Yeah alright..." he said gruffly "I wasn't protecting you or anything if that's what you thought..." his face flushed slightly and he looked away from her, obviously embarrassed.

Levy giggled, "I know... let's just settle down, we're all a little on edge anyway."

"Ugghhh..." groaned Gray from across the room, who was sitting on a love-seat with Juvia at her insistence "On edge is right... when are they gonna tell us anyway?"

"It must be soon..." pondered Lucy, looking out the floor-to-ceiling windows of the suite, "we've been in here for three days..."

Wendy, obviously stressed, was sitting in a chair with her knees to her chest, holding her head in her hands.

"If I hear Elfman say 'man' one more time..." she muttered "I don't know what I'll do...".

The rest of her guildmates laughed at her uncharacteristic show of annoyance, eliciting a "Hey!" from Elfman.

"Does anyone know where Alzack and Bisca are?" asked Lucy, scanning the room for the two gun-magic mages.

"I think they're playing 'Duck-Hunter' in the arcade..." snorted Natsu.

All of a sudden, someone was knocking on the door.

"Mages of Fairy Tail," the voice cried "you have been summoned before the King of Fiore to be told your tasks, please come immediately."

"Finally!" sighed Lucy who was fed up with being zapped, and nearly set on fire "let's go you guys!"

_Inside the Meeting-Room._

The room was small, and bare, a stark contrast to the room they had been staying in.

A large table occupied the middle of the room with the king on one side and twelve chairs on the other.

"Please sit down." stated the King.

The mages of Fairy Tail found a seat and began to listen carefully.

"Mages of Fairy Tail..." the king started "you have been selected as the only team to be assigned to Special Forces."

Not a muscle moved as the King continued.

"Your job will be to infiltrate Tiev and find out why they are waging war. You will also report any other useful information. This is the most dangerous assignment of all, as you will be behind enemy lines."

"You will be leaving in exactly 3 hours and will be deposited on the border of Tiev in a secluded region of the world. You will be provided further details before your departure. Do what you must to prepare yourselves."

After the king finished, the mages were ushered into the hall and abandoned to their worried thoughts.

"What. The. Hell." Laxus stated while scanning the rest of the group, " just happened?" he asked looking for some sort of answer.

Everyone shook their heads dazedly, Levy and Wendy looked extremely confused and Lucy was resting her head on Natsu's shoulder, probably out of shock, her eyes blank and unfocused, as though in a trance.

Natsu was the first to reply, with characteristic obliviousness he said "All I know is that ninja-Natsu gets to make a return!" he crowed, a huge smile on his face, referring to the mission he and Lucy had done together to retrieve the book 'Daybreak'.

"Anyways..." Erza interjected, obviously fed up with the stupidity, and obliviousness of the Fire-Dragon "we'll meet up in three hours to depart for Tiev, I want everyone here on time... got it?"

Erza shot a withering glance at Natsu who was dragging the still dazed Lucy to their room "Aye Sir!" he replied hastily, before throwing Lucy over his shoulder and racing to the suite.

The rest of the guild followed suit, returning to their room to pack up what little belongings they had brought with them, not yet comprehending what was to transpire.

_Three Hours Later_

The King himself, met again with the Fairy Tail draftees, accompanied by Master Makarov and other high-ranking military personnel. Meeting in front of their personal train, the members of Fairy Tail were given the rest of their briefing.

The King cleared his throat, echoing throughout the empty train station which had been reserved for the sole purpose of sending off the Fairy Tail mages.

"I must thank you all for your bravery..." the king began, looking intently at the draftees "and I apologize for my terseness earlier... ". "As stated prior, your mission will be to enter Tiev and learn as much as you can about the cause and purpose of this war."

The King beckoned to an aide holding a small briefcase.

Opening the case, the King withdrew a silver ring with small lacrima implanted on it.

"These are communication rings..." the King explained "you will be required to contact us whenever you find anything of note. There is one for each of you and you are able to contact each other, with the communication ring."

The King donned the ring and turned it once around his forefinger. Instantly a holographic map of Tiev appeared in the air from the ring.

"These rings also contain a map of Tiev, marked with Points of Interest such as evac points and safe-havens. Should you ever need to be evacuated or need a place to stay, you need to only go to one of the areas marked on the map."

"Finally, if you need to contact anyone, all you need to do is push in the lacrima and say their name. It will act like a walkie-talkie,

* * *

><p>but in addition you will also be able to see the other person."<p>

Finishing his explanation, he gave a ring to each member, allowing them to examine their new 'gear'.

Glancing around at the assembled mages, the King began again, "thank you all for your sacrifice, and good luck."

Walking through the group, he shakes each one of their hands and thanking them for their service, obviously proud of the Fairy Tail mages.

Once, the King finished he left the 12 mages and Master Makarov on the platform in front of the train.

A voice came over the intercom "_Special Forces prepare to depart to the border of Tiev_" which echoed throughout the deserted station.

Master Makarov looked around at his brats fondly, and with tears in his eyes, he turned into his giant form and gave the group a huge hug.

"Stay safe... and remember you are mages of Fairy Tail... I have a communication ring as well so keep me updated too."

With a final squeeze he shooed the mages onto the train.

As the train rumbled to life and the doors closed Master Makarov wiped his eyes and waved to the mages.

"We'll be back soon!" shouted Natsu out the window of the train.

The rest of the draftees stuck their heads out the windows and waved to their guildmaster who was standing alone on the empty platform, each shouting their own goodbyes.

"See-ya Gramps!" shouted Laxus over the sound of the train.

Waving to the teenagers whom he had raised as his own all those years, tears streamed down the old mages face.

Whispering to himself he smiled slightly "They grow up so fast..."

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><p><strong>Thanks to issydragonheart for the review it means a lot!<strong>

**Special thanks to my beta-reader erzascarlet for all the awesome work.**

**I lied, Tiev is DEFINITATELY next chapter... it's gonna be epic (hopefully).**

**Stay tuned for next chapter and Please Review!**


	7. Premonition

Disclaimer- I don't own Fairy Tail

**Please Review!**

The Charge of the Light Brigade

* * *

><p>Last Chapter-<p>

Waving to the teenagers whom he had raised as his own all those years, tears streamed down the old mages face.

Whispering to himself he smiled slightly "They grow up so fast..."

* * *

><p>Chapter 7- Premonition<p>

_Theirs not to make reply,_

_Theirs not to reason why,_

_Theirs but to do and die._

_-Lord Alfred Tennyson (The Charge of the Light Brigade)_

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><p><em>Bodies. Bodies everywhere. Everywhere she looked, she saw her friends face down on the dirt. The soil itself had turned muddy by the amount of blood spilled. Walking forward, her feet sunk into the soft earth, still warm from the gore of the massacre. She held back a wave of nausea, quickly followed by a crippling sense of panic. Everyone. Everyone was dead. The silence was deafening. Even the jungle creatures had ceased their ruckus, as though to mourn for those who had been lost. Late. She was too late to help them, and now they were gone. Quickly scanning the multitude of bodies, some which were lying on-top of others, signifying the struggle which occurred here, she recognized the familiar features of some of her friends. She recognized a suit of armor, hair-ribbons, a scarf... and underneath a pile of bodies cloaked in black, a bright tuft of pink hair. <em>

_End Premonition_

"Carla? Carla what's wrong?"

The white exceed was shaking fiercely, her eyes unfocused and distant.

"Answer me Carla!" Happy began to shake Carla by her shoulders in an attempt to snap her out of her trance. Fear was evident in his voice.

"Stop that, you'll give her a headache!" said a black exceed, standing behind the two.

"Why won't she answer me?" whined Happy, whom was unsure why his friend was unresponsive.

"Just let her be..." Pantherlily suggested "She'll snap out of it soon enough, just like she always has."

"Something is different though..." the blue exceed replied glancing back at Carla who was still lost to them.

Seconds after he had finished, Pantherlily and Happy both heard a sharp intake of breath from Carla, as though she had been underwater and was resurfacing.

Spinning around quickly, the two male exceeds saw their friend on her knees, eyes wide, perspiration on her forehead. She was obviously panicked.

"Wendy... Natsu... Everyone!" she stammered, eyes darting around, not yet having realized that her terror was over, oblivious to Happy and Lily trying to comfort her.

"Carla, calm down..." Pantherlily spoke soothingly trying to reach his friend "We're here for you don't worry."

Gradually her heartbeat settled and her breathing became less ragged.

"I'm sorry..." she whispered, " it happened again..."

"What did you see?" asked Happy tentatively, unsure of whether he wanted to know or not.

Carla shuddered, tears forming in her eyes "Our friends..." she choked "I saw Wendy, and Lucy, and all our friends... they were... they were..." she shook violently and put her head in her hands sobbing loudly.

"We have to get back to the guild..." Pantherlily said decidedly "Carla's visions are always correct in one way or another... and I don't like where this is going."

"Aye!" shouted Happy, who with Carla and Pantherlily quickly began their journey back to Magnolia

_Tiev_

The twelve hour train ride was somber and filled with tension; but as dawn broke, our heroes could finally see their destination.

The train pulled into an abandoned station, which was a few hundred yards away from the near ten foot iron wall topped with barbed wire, which encircled the perimeter of Tiev. Rumor had it that after the bloody and brutal civil war, prisoners of war were forced to build the wall as a monument to their 'betrayal'.

Being on the border of Tiev, the station was nearly surrounded by ancient trees which towered over the train station and the mages.

The train station itself had succumbed to the elements from years of neglect, and as the train screeched to a halt, the Fairy Tail mages could see pale light filtering through holes in the roof above them and vines creeping up the walls. Exiting the train, the twelve mages walked along the cracked stone platform surveying their surroundings, amazed at eerie stillness in the desolate and decrepit station.

All the mages had changed from their normal clothes into jungle-combat fatigues on the train, which were perfectly suited for camouflage in the dense underbrush of the hostile nation.

Bisca whistled quietly, her eyes darting around the train station, her trusty magic rifle newly camouflaged by draping pieces of a ghillie suit over it.

"We're actually here..." Bisca murmured "I can't believe it."

Alzack, who had been standing beside her, nodded in agreement, his hands resting on his similarly camouflaged twin pistols.

Natsu and Gajeel both stumbled onto the platform, still suffering from motion sickness. Both were wearing camouflage cargo-pants with a camouflage sleeveless shirt.

"Ughhh..." they moaned in unison collapsing to the floor, thankful that their ride was over.

"It gets worse every damn time..." grumbled Gajeel, still a light shade of green.

As the rest of the mages filed off the train, Erza began to address her comrades.

"Alright listen up..." she glared at every single one of them "we are not on vacation!" Pointing to the looming iron wall just a few hundred yards away to emphasize her point she continued, "Beyond that wall are people who want to kill every mage here... and our job is to get as close as possible to them to find out what they're up to."

Levy, Wendy and Lucy all whimpered in unison drawing a smirk from Gajeel.

"So what's new?" Laxus asked mockingly, causing Erza to shoot a glare at the Lightning mage which would have caused a normal man to faint on the spot, but was received by a small smile from Laxus.

"Anyways..." Erza huffed obviously annoyed, "due to the nature of our mission I propose that we split up into two teams. My team will consist of Juvia, Gray, Natsu, Lucy and Wendy. Laxus will lead the other team and will have Alzack, Bisca, Elfman, Gajeel and Levy." she finished by asking "Is everyone okay with that?"

The assembled mages all nodded in unison, causing Erza to smile for the first time in days. "Very well lets move out... but first we have to deal with that wall... Gajeel?" She looked over to the Iron-Dragon Slayer who smiled widely and patted his stomach.

"I was getting hungry anyways..." he chuckled.

_Ten Minutes Later_

After eating a human sized hole in the wall, Gajeel let out a satisfied burp, causing Levy to punch him in the arm, the Fairy Tail mages slipped into Tiev.

Immediately after passing through the wall, the mages felt a dark aura surround them. Looking up into the forest canopy above them, they wondered where the evil pressure was originating from.

Elfman spoke quietly, so only his friends could hear "This forest... it's almost alive and breathing... it feels like the entire forest is cloaked in an ancient dark magic."

The rest of the group acknowledged Elfman, and Erza spoke again, this time in a hushed whisper.

"Alright this is where we split into our groups..." turning her ring, given to her by the King of Fiore, a map of Tiev appeared in the air.

"We're here," stated Erza pointing to the map, near the edge of the country, "we need to break off and scour the surrounding area, afterwards we'll meet up here" she said pointing to an area just outside of the heart of Tiev, "and report anything we find. Don't forget to use your rings for communication. This is goodbye for now..."

The group exchanged hugs with one another, and with tensions on edge broke into two groups and set off in opposite directions.

_Erza's Squad_

Lucy whose nerves had been frayed to start with, began to break down as she saw her friends trudge off into the underbrush.

Natsu noticing her distress, calmly walked over and hugged her tightly.

"Th-Th-This isn't the last time we'll see them right?" Lucy managed to ask through heaving sobs, looking up at Natsu, her brown eyes full of tears.

"Of course not..." Natsu replied giving her a bright smile, "this is only temporary. We'll see them again in a couple of days."

Lucy felt relief wash over her and her nerves began to calm, "Natsu..." she whispered.

_Laxus's Squad_

Trekking through the jungle minutes after separating from the rest of their companions, Elfman let out a long sigh as though reminiscing a good memory.

"What you thinking 'bout?" asked Laxus, surprised he was bored enough to even care.

"N-N-No-one!" Elfman stammered, his face turning beet red, obviously embarassed.

"Oh-ho so it is a someone then..." Laxus pried even deeper "is it Evergreen?"

Elfman was blushing furiously now, "How'd you know... I mean no!... I mean..." looking back at Gajeel and Levy who were discreetly holding hands, Elfman caved in "Yeah, I am... I just wished I had spent more time with her before I left, just in case... you know..."

Laxus stopped dead in his tracks, "_Was there someone I wanted to spend more time with?..." _instantly his mind jumped to a certain, beautiful Take-Over Mage "_Mira... When I get back I'll tell you how I feel..."_

"Oy! You comin' '_leader' _? " Gajeel yelled tauntingly back at Laxus who was instantly snapped back to reality.

"Yeah..." Laxus replied gruffly "Let's go get this over with."

_Back in Crocus, at the Headquarters_

"That is not an option!" bellowed Master Makarov, who was more furious than anyone had ever seen him. His eyes glowed with a white intensity and his aura sent splintering cracks through the marble floor. "Firing Etherion on Tiev is not an option!"

Disregarding the outburst, the assembled council members put up one final vote.

"In the event of an emergency, threatening national security, Etherion will be fired on Tiev regardless of allied forces inside the country... all in favor?"

One by one, each council member raised his or her hand until the decision was unanimous.

Furious Master Makarov stormed out of the hall his mind racing "_Brats..." _ he pleaded inwardly "_Please hurry..."_

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><p><strong>As always thank you to erzascarlet for the awesome beta-ing.<strong>

**Thank you to chick4nick for following and reviewing and bladzesword for following, it means a lot! **


	8. Discoveries

Disclaimer- I don't own Fairy Tail

**THANK YOU TO erzascarlet FOR THE BETA!**

**If you like it PLEASE REVIEW!**

* * *

><p>The Charge of the Light Brigade<p>

Last Chapter-

Carla shuddered, tears forming in her eyes "Our friends..." she choked "I saw Wendy, Lucy, and all our friends... they were... they were..." she shook violently and put her head in her hands sobbing loudly.

* * *

><p>Chapter 8- Discoveries<p>

_Erza's Squad, Three days after splitting apart._

Green and black. Everywhere the Sky-Dragon Slayer looked, all she saw was the fertile black soil of the jungle, and above her an expanse of unending green. She hadn't seen the sky or felt the warmth of the sun on her skin for days. In short, it was hell.

For three days they had been trekking through the jungle; searching desperately for any signs that would help them discover the true intentions of the hostile nation they were currently sneaking through. However, all that they had managed to find was some persistent mosquitoes. The constant buzzing of the jungle insects kept the mages awake all night, causing them to be weak from fatigue. Also, after three days of 90% humidity and no showers, everyone was filthy.

With their hair plastered to their foreheads, and sweat rolling down their faces, they continued trudging without a word, through the treacherous jungle.

Eventually, Wendy couldn't take it anymore.

"Guys lets stop here... " she gasped, her chest heaving "We're all exhausted and we can get something to eat too..." she said before collapsing on the ground exhausted.

"I agree," Erza commented "We've been walking for fourteen hours straight and we need a break."

Lucy, who was just as exhausted as Wendy, sat down with her back against a tree and immediately fell into deep sleep. Her blond hair fell to one side, covering part of her face.

Natsu, stumbling around for a comfortable place to sleep, slumped down beside Lucy and put his head in her lap before falling asleep just as quickly as she had.

Gray and Juvia sat down against a tree and with their heads resting against each other and fingers intertwined, fell into a deep slumber as well.

Wendy, who had been catching her breath while lying on the ground looked up and saw the rest of the squad resting. Unable to deal with another minute of being trapped in the humid, dark jungle she stood up and brushed herself off.

Looking upwards into the canopy above, she crouched down and with an explosion of wind-magic, she rocketed upwards.

Bursting through the dense layer of leaves, Wendy was immediately greeted by a gentle breeze and warmth of the sun. Looking down at the canopy of leaves, she saw an ocean of green extending out in front of her all the way to the horizon.

However, from her new vantage point, Wendy spotted a metal spire peeking out of the trees a few miles away. Having been searching for days without a single lead, she quickly plunged back through the trees and back to her friends.

Cushioning her descent with another burst of wind, she ran over to her squad.

"Guys! Guys!" she yelled, startling her squad-members awake "I've found something!".

"What is it?!" asked Erza quickly, obviously excited to be back on the trail again.

"I didn't see much but there was a tower sticking out of the trees just a few miles from here!"

Erza quickly stood up and brushed the dirt off of her jungle-empress armor, "Wendy show us the way!" she said with renewed vigor.

_30 minutes later_

After a short trek through the jungle, Erza's squad was on the edge of a clearing looking directly at the ruins of a strange building made completely of solid stone, it almost looked like a prison or detainment facility. The spire which Wendy saw, looked more like a communications array from up close.

"Great job Wendy!" Natsu whispered enthusiastically. "We never would have found this place without you!"

"It was by accident..." Wendy said bashfully, but Lucy cut her off "No! Take credit for this! You did amazing!" Wendy blushed slightly, but otherwise nodded shyly.

Gray interjected, "alright, we need to be really careful. There could still be active security measures inside and around the building even though it looks abandoned."

Everyone nodded in agreement with the ice-mage.

One by one, crouching low to the ground and on high-alert. the six mages scampered across the clearing to the abandoned building.

Having not seen any security on the perimeter, Gray stealthily peeked into the building scanning the entrance-hall for any threats. Looking for magical mines, traps and other booby traps, he scanned the walls, floor and ceiling for any abnormalities. Not seeing any, he waved his hand, giving the signal for his friends to enter the building.

The interior of the building was completely dark. the only light source that the mages possessed was Natsu, who had engulfed his hand in magical fire. The dancing flames casted long, eerie shadows on the walls as they moved stealthily through the halls.

With their footsteps echoing down the long stone hallways, the mages searched the entire building until they found themselves at a dead end.

Looking around for an alternate route, the squad realized that they hadn't found a single piece of useful information.

"Juvia thinks we've searched the entire building, but Juvia hasn't seen anything..." the water-mage stated, confirming what the rest were thinking.

"Ugghhh..." groaned Natsu, "There's nothing here... Let's go" he said flopping to the ground in defeat.

The moment the Fire Dragon-Slayers body hit the floor, the stone cracked violently and a massive hole opened in the ground swallowing the entire squad.

Landing with a dull thud, the mages realized that they had stumbled upon a secret, hidden floor underneath the building. Unfortunately, the collapse had caused huge amounts of dust to spew into the air, resulting in the six mages all coughing loudly.

"Great job flame-brain..." Gray coughed sarcastically, "now I can barely breathe..."

Looking through the dust, the six mages could see faint lights glowing mysteriously all around them.

As the dust settled and the air cleared the mages soon realized with horror that they were in a secret medical facility of some kind.

All around them were medical beds and restraining chairs, caked with dried blood.

Medical equipment was lying all over the floor, syringes, scalpels, sedation masks, along with wires hanging from the ceiling, which made it evident to the mages like an immense struggle had occurred here.

The floor was covered in scorch marks and blood stains. Huge slashes could be seen gouged into the walls.

"Wha-What is this place?" Wendy asked clearly frightened.

"I have no idea..." replied Gray in an equally stunned voice.

"Guys! Get over here!" Lucy called to them from across the room, her voice dripping with panic.

In her shaking, pale hands was a journal which had been stained with blood.

"Lucy, what's wrong?" asked Natsu trying to comfort the obviously distraught Celestial-Mage.

"Just read it..." she replied holding out the journal to her friends.

Erza, cautiously opened the journal and began to read out loud, her voice echoing ominously in the room.

"April 5th X788," she began. "We began bonding prisoners of war and citizens alike to Project Infinity... the following are the results."

_From the pages of the journ__al_

_Subject A-001 Failed_

_Subject A-002 Failed_

_Subject A-003 Failed_

_..._

_The journal continued in a similar fashion for almost 100 pages...until..._

_'Today we have made a significant breakthrough, Subject X-777 was able to bond completely with Project Infinity without disintegrating. We will keep him in containment for further testing.'_

_The final entry of the journal read_

_'Subject X-777's power spiked remarkably today. However, the transformation seems to be taking a toll on the subject's mind as he no longer responds to any outside stimulus. All that he mutters is 'They don't know...' Wait... there's been a breach, HE'S..._

_End Journal Entry_

The final entry of the journal ended only with a blood splatter, yet Erza flipped frantically to see if there was any more writing.

Finally, after flipping through the entire book she said solemnly, "That's all there is..."

"Juvia wants to know what Project Infinity is..." muttered the water-mage, deep in thought.

"Y-you don't think that one of the subjects did this..." Lucy asked pointing to the destroyed room.

"I don't know..." replied Erza "but we need to stay on high-alert from here on out. We have no idea who or what's waiting for us out there in the jungle."

_Laxus Squad_

While Erza's squad was searching the medical facility, Laxus's squad was hot on a lead thanks to Gajeels sharp nose.

"I smell iron..." Gajeel stated, sniffing the air in an animalistic way "It's close".

"Alright you guys," Laxus said taking charge. "We need to be on our guard from here on out. We don't know what we're dealing with here."

Following the Iron-Dragon Slayer, the squad made their way through the dense vegetation.

After mere minutes of walking, the group was startled when Gajeel walked into an invisible wall, a metallic clang echoing through the jungle.

"Owww..." said Gajeel rubbing his head slightly "It looks like whatever's here has been magically cloaked".

"I think it's a building" said Laxus while running his hands up and down the sides of the invisible wall.

"Then let's find a way inside!" chimed Levy.

"Okay," replied Laxus nodding in agreement "Alzack and Bisca I want you on perimeter watch, anything that comes in or goes out I want to know about alright?"

Alzack and Bisca both nodded in unison "We'll go set up our hide* and let you know anything we see" declared Alzack who, along with Bisca began scouting the perimeter.

"Alright, we're going in," whispered Laxus to the remaining members of his squad "I want everybody on point when we go in, don't mess this up."

Levy gulped loudly, obviously nervous.

"Don't worry 'bout it Shrimp. Whatever happens I've got your back." said Gajeel in one of his unintended displays of affection.

Levy blushed slightly and grabbed hold of Gajeels hand causing him to blush as well.

Laxus however, was not amused, "Alright you two... let's go" he said rolling his eyes dramatically and moving to find an entrance.

Stealthily searching around the building, Laxus ran his hand along the invisible wall, feeling for an entrance.

Feeling a deep indention, Laxus stood up and pulled slightly.

Sure enough, the four mages were met with a view of the interior of a warehouse.

Laxus, looking back at his companions put his index finger to his lips and snuck inside.

The warehouse was massive, crates and pallets covering the floor and stacked to the ceiling.

The stacked boxes created thin alley-ways throughout the warehouse.

However, curiously along with the stacked crates and pallets, the warehouse was full of heavy mining equipment such as excavators and rock-crackers.

Maneuvering through the maze of crates, the four mages searched for information regarding the purpose of the warehouse.

To their dismay, nothing of interest could be found anywhere.

Continuing to search the warehouse, the mages rounded a corner and were met with a sight which made even Laxus turn a ghostly pale.

Mounds of jet-black crystal lacrima greeted the mages. Obviously the answer to why there was so much mining equipment in the warehouse.

Yet even more frightening, before the mages, stood ten figures cloaked in black looking directly at them, poised to attack.

Elfman immediately transformed into his Beast-Soul form, "guys this isn't looking good..." he said, his voice wavering.

"Well shit..." muttered Gajeel, roughly shoving Levy behind him.

Turning back to the Blue-Haired mage whose eyes were wide with fright, he said calmly, "stay down Shrimp... I'll protect you," shooting her a confident grin.

Laxus however, calmly stepped a few paces forward, looking directly at the unknown figures and cracked his knuckles ominously.

With the air around him buzzing with electricity, his aura splintering the concrete floor of the warehouse, he asked sighing as though bored, "alright, which one of you wants to tell me what's going on here"?

* * *

><p>*hide: a camouflaged structure, used to gain a view of an area without being seen.<p>

**A huge Thank You to greengrasslover and dynamite403, you guys are the reason I keep going!**


	9. Pieces of the Puzzle

Disclaimer- I don't own Fairy Tail

**Please Review!**

The Charge of the Light Brigade

* * *

><p>Last Chapter-<p>

Laxus however, calmly stepped a few paces forward looking directly at the unknown figures, cracking his knuckles ominously.

With the air around him buzzing with electricity he asked sighing, as if bored, "Alright, which one of you wants to tell me what's going on here?"

* * *

><p>Chapter 9- Pieces of the Puzzle<p>

Laxus' heart rate quickened, his breathing became shallower and more rapid as adrenaline rushed through his body. Every fiber of his being, his senses, his body, felt like they were being charged with electricity.

He loved the rush, the intoxicating feeling of putting his life on the line. The primal struggle to survive, the irony that the closer he came to death the more alive he felt.

The tense standoff between Laxus' squad and the hostile mages lasted for only a few seconds, but during that time the world seemed to hold its breath. The air buzzed with anticipation and excitement, like the calm before the storm.

Like a bolt of lightning, all at once, the tension in the air exploded and the mages found themselves engulfed in the chaos of battle.

Laxus darted forward causing the ground beneath him to shatter while leaving two craters where his feet had been. Fist crackling with electricity, he pounced on the masked mages preparing to land a devastating punch on whoever was unfortunate enough to get close to him. The enemy mages held their ground defiantly, and only when the Lightning-Dragon Slayer was nearly on-top of them did they react to the threat approaching.

One by one the cloaked enemies disappeared in billowing clouds of black smoke, only to reappear in a different location.

The mage closest to Laxus vanished in a haze just as Laxus was about to unload a devastating punch.

"Whoosh" Laxus' crackling fist sliced through the air where the foe had been, causing the residual smoke to swirl around his hand.

Looking around wildly, Laxus spotted his target reappear on top of a crate in the same cloud of smoke he had disappeared in, a few yards away.

"Shit!" yelled Gajeel to his fellow squad members, "They use Teleportation Magic!"

The ten attackers began to teleport around the room randomly with only the pillars of smoke revealing their position, making it virtually impossible to pinpoint their location.

"Levy, stay here!" yelled Gajeel, rushing beside Laxus and Elfman who were frantically scanning the room, trying to get a lock on the mages.

Standing back to back in a square formation in the center of the floor, Elfman and the two dragon-slayers prepared for the oncoming assault.

The assailants continued to teleport around the room. Laxus' squad could hear their sinister laughter echoing throughout the warehouse.

"Fools... foolssss..." the figures hissed, the actual source of the voices a mystery to the mages "You should have ssstayed out of our businessss... now we have to kill you all..."

In one swift movement, a mage teleported from the shadows directly in front of Gajeel. Before he could react, the mage sucker-punched him just above the stomach, in the cavity that formed just under his chest.

Gajeel collapsed to the ground on one knee, the wind knocked out of his lungs. The two men beside him furiously attacked the figure but only connected with smoke and air.

"God dammit!" yelled Laxus "Elfman, get Alzack and Bisca!"

Elfman nodded in reply, sprinting to the exit in order to bring reinforcements.

Suddenly the enemies were everywhere with pillars of smoke appearing all around the two male Dragon-Slayers. The enemies bobbed and weaved expertly, materializing in range for long enough to attack, and then disappearing just as quickly as they had come.

The two Fairy Tail mages were being beaten ferociously as they tried to ward off the attackers. Punches to the stomach and face appeared out of nowhere, and not one of their retaliations had landed on their mark.

Even while being hammered from all sides, Gajeel still managed to keep his cool in the heat of battle. Looking around, he counted the enemy mages pounding Laxus and him with brutal punches. "_1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9_..." he thought to himself. He could smell nine similar yet different scents coming from the attackers.

Ten. There had been ten enemies. "_Where the hell is the tenth!_" Gajeel thought, screaming at himself in his head.

Suddenly a blood-curdling scream, resonated throughout the warehouse.

Time seemed to stand still for the Iron-Dragon Slayer as he whipped around to find the source of the scream.

In front of him was Levy, barely conscious, being held above the ground by her azure hair by the tenth masked combatant.

Slowly, as though moving through molasses, the mage holding Levy withdrew a long, sinister, onyx-black blade from the depths of his robes.

"Levy!" Gajeel screamed, raw emotion in his voice.

Then carefully and meticulously, the figure slid the blade into the side of the Solid-Script mage, just underneath the ribs, who screamed as though being burned by fire.

Gajeel, hearing her scream, felt his heart shatter as if he were being stabbed as well.

Then... nothing. He could not hear anything other than the rushing sound of his fury and the overwhelming pressure of his own aura, fueled by pure hatred for the figure holding Levy, pulsing through his body.

Staring directly at the mage who had impaled Levy, _his Levy_, Gajeel's eyes turned a solid white and wisps of shadow began emanating from his body.

Laxus, glanced over at his fellow Dragon-Slayer only to feel an overpowering, sickening wave of bloodlust gushing from the now Iron-Shadow Dragon Slayer.

The rest of the attacking mages, sensing an enormous rise in magical power, immediately backed away and retreated to the shadows.

Releasing his pent-up aura, the air around Gajeel began to vibrate, and small fissures opened up in the ground around the Dragon-Slayer.

"You think that you are rulers of the dark..." Gajeel said in a hushed whisper, his eyes directed at his feet, hair covering his eyes. "But I will show you who is the true master of shadows" he finished, smiling wickedly.

Then he was everywhere and nowhere at once, he was the shadow, the darkness which the enemy mages thought was their friend but was now their biggest threat.

Appearing unnoticed behind the mage who was still holding Levy by the hair, Gajeel smirked slightly and whispered into the figures' ear "I'm going to kill you for that..."

Levy crumpled to the ground as the mage attempted to flee only to be grabbed tightly by the back of the neck by Gajeel.

With a sickening crack, Gajeel broke the neck of the mage who had wounded _HIS 'Shrimp' _one-handed.

Gajeel, dropping the sack of shit that had hurt HIS bookworm, turned and looked into the shadows where the rest of the assailants hid.

He gave a slight smile which would have made Hell itself freeze over, before chuckling quietly and glancing around "Now for the rest..." he muttered before vanishing into the shadows.

Laxus couldn't see what was happening from the shadows. He heard screams and pleading before sickening cracks come from the dark, the same as which had announced the swift death of the first cloaked enemy.

After mere minutes, Gajeel materialized in the middle of the floor beside Laxus before returning to his normal Iron-Dragon Slayer self.

With a grimace on his face, and blood splattered on his clothes, Gajeel shook his head, before muttering to himself through clenched teeth "That's what they deserve."

Hearing movement behind him, he turned around sharply too see Elfman, Alzack and Bisca returning from outside.

Bisca, immediately seeing Levy lying on the ground in a pool of blood inhaled sharply before, instantly ripping off her back-pack, looking for first-aid supplies.

"Alzack, apply pressure to the wound..." Bisca said authoritatively while rummaging in her back-pack "I'll try to clean the wound and stop the blood-loss."

Sprinting over to Levy, Gajeel bent down slowly and with the utmost care lifted her tiny hands off the cold, stone floor wrapping them gently in his.

Her eyes fluttered open, unfocused, but when she realized who it was, gave Gajeel a ghost of a smile.

"Gajeel..." she said softly, looking straight into his eyes before reaching up and brushing his cheek gently.

"Bisca, how is she...?" Gajeel asked tentatively, noticing Levy's warm blood on his hands.

While still attending to Levy, Bisca replied quietly.

"She'll be fine Gajeel... the wound was deep, but clean, and didn't sever any major arteries. However, I'm picking up some traces of magic within the wound... I think the blade was cursed." Bisca finished with a grimace.

"What kind of curse...?" Gajeel asked roughly, looking down at the petite lying before him, gently brushing a strand of hair away from Levy's face.

"From what I can tell nothing major... I think it just makes the wound heal more slowly than normal. It'll leave a nasty scar." Bisca replied surveying the wound, bandaging the wound in gauze.

"It's lucky I took a combat medic course before I came here..." Bisca muttered thoughtfully.

"Gajeel, come here for a second," spoke Laxus from behind him.

Gajeel frowned slightly before returning Levy to Bisca and stomping over to Laxus.

"The hell d'you want?" growled Gajeel, obviously annoyed by being pulled away from Levy's side.

"Take a look at this..." replied Laxus, holding a piece of the strange black lacrima which littered the warehouse, "I've never seen anything like it before..."

Gajeel took the crystal and surveyed it, looking intently at every minute facet.

Finally, after a few minutes he grunted and gave the rock back to Laxus.

"It's like yours..." he said shortly, causing the Lightning-Dragon Slayer to raise an eyebrow questioningly.

"Like mine? What do you mean?"

Pointing to the center of Laxus's chest, Gajeel answered briefly "It can give a person magic power, but only if you fill it first."

Laxus nodded slowly, grasping the situation "So like how my Lacrima gave me Dragon-Slaying magic, this could give someone else magic as well?"

"Yeah, and the type of magic depends with what they fill it with... The only question is what were they filling it with?" Gajeel questioned.

_Erza's Squad_

_After searching the abandoned Medical Facility, Erza's squad begins to advance towards the rendezvous point with Laxus' Squad._

Trekking through the jungle towards the rendezvous point, Erza's squad is deep in thought about their recent discoveries.

"Hmmm..." muttered Natsu, stroking his chin thoughtfully "What could they have been doing in there?" he thought out loud.

"Whatever it is I wouldn't want to meet whatever or _whomever_ made such a mess in there..." replied Gray slowly, remembering the gouges and burns left on the walls of the medical operation room.

Lucy, who was leading the group through the jungle, didn't say anything but nodded slowly in agreement. Completely engrossed in her own thoughts she accidentally stumbled across something hidden in a pile of leaves, stubbing her toe in the process.

"Ahhh..." Lucy said rubbing her injured foot, tears involuntarily swelling in her eyes, "What is that?"

As the group approached Lucy from behind, trying to see what she had run into, only Natsu, with his dragon-senses was able to hear a faint *_click_ from beneath the pile of leaves.

Eyes widening in terror, Natsu rushed forward, shoving a surprised and confused Erza, Juvia, Gray, and Wendy behind him, before bolting towards Lucy, still standing near the unknown object.

"Lucy!" Natsu screamed deafeningly before launching himself at her and knocking her away with a massive tackle.

Lucy, stunned could only look on as a bubble of magical energy exploded from where she had been standing only moments before, completely engulfing Natsu, in a blinding sphere of light.

* * *

><p><strong>erzascarlet THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE BETAING!<strong>

*Sigh...* Freaking AP Exams and such... took me a while to update...

Thanks for all the continued support and awesome reviews.


	10. Life and Death

Disclaimer- I don't own Fairy Tail

*Heh… Yeah it's been a few months, but you can't stop inspiration. I think I know where I want the story to go, so I might update soon!*

**Please Review!**

* * *

><p>The Charge of the Light Brigade<p>

Last Chapter-

_"Lucy!" Natsu screamed deafeningly before launching himself at her and shoving her away with a massive tackle. _

_Lucy, stunned could only look on as a bubble of magical energy exploded from where she had stood only moments before, completely engulfed Natsu in a blinding sphere of light._

* * *

><p>Chapter 10- Life and Death<p>

The sudden release of magic was contained yet powerful, and the ensuing shockwave knocked Natsus' friends further from the center of the detonation.

Gradually the smoke cleared, and the rest of the squad slowly stood up, ears ringing from the blast, minds hazy and unfocused.

Moments after the shock of the explosion settled, Erza's squad immediately refocused their attention to Natsu.

"Natsu!" Lucy screamed as she crawled forward to her best friend lying in a small crater with his body badly injured, and worst of all, not breathing.

"Natsu!" Lucy screamed again, shaking her friend as if to wake him from a deep sleep "Please answer me!"

Erza, shoved the hysterical Lucy away from Natsu, and immediately bent over the Fire Dragon-Slayer and began CPR in order to restart his stilled heart. She screamed at his lifeless body, "answer me, Natsu!"

Wendy rushed over to her fallen comrade and immediately began an attempt to heal him, hands still shaking from the explosion.

Minutes passed feeling like hours as she desperately concentrated on her magic, and tried to return life to the still body before her. Gray, Juvia and Lucy paced frantically as they waited with bated breath for any good news. Finally, with her face pale, and forehead soaked with sweat, Wendy fell back onto the jungle floor breathing heavily.

"He's finally breathing…" she gasped through ragged breaths.

Lucy, with tears in her eyes, immediately ran over to the pink-haired Dragon-Slayer, and bent down over his face. She stayed motionless for what seemed like hours when in reality it was mere seconds, until finally, the slightest breath escaped from his lips, the warm air brushing past her ear.

Stifling a sob, Lucy bent down lower and planted a gentle kiss onto Natsu's forehead before turning back to the exhausted Sky-Dragon Slayer.

"Thank you…" Lucy whispered to Wendy, the faintest smile lingering on the blonde's lips.

Wendy returned the smile before looking back at their injured comrade.

"All I did was administer first aid…" she said in a matter-of-factly tone, "but he is still in critical condition." Wendy paused briefly before continuing, her eyes darkening "Not only did that bomb do significant physical damage, but it also completely sapped him of his magic. It was a weapon designed to kill wizards…" She glanced back over to the Fire Dragon-Slayer before mumbling softly, "we're lucky he's even breathing."

"Why in the hell is there a wizard-killing bomb out here?!" Gray asked bluntly.

Erza, who had been kneeling beside her fallen comrade stood up slowly, scanning the surrounding forest before speaking. "It could be a relic of the wars that took place here long ago…. or…"

"Or what?" Gray asked, slightly perturbed by Erza's sudden cautiousness.

"Or…" Erza said staring at each of her squad-mates, "or it could have been placed to kill whatever destroyed that medical facility."

Juvia, who had been sitting quietly, stunned by the injury to her friend, suddenly snapped back to reality. She looked around wildly and began to hyperventilate "What if it's still here!?" she asked. Her heart began to race and her breathing became rapid.

Gray, immediately noticing Juvia was panicking, rushed over and knelt beside her. Putting one hand behind her head, he gently pushed her forehead into his chest and held her tightly.

Gradually Juvia's breathing slowed and her heart rate settled.

Still holding the Water-Mage in a tight embrace, Gray began to speak in a deep voice.

"We can't worry about the what-if's right now… We have to get our wounded to safety and tell the others what happened. Erza is there anywhere we can set up a camp?"

Erza nodded in agreement and twisted her ring to bring up the holo-map. She scanned it quickly before she spoke, "there's an enclosed area about a klick1 north of here, we could make it by sundown"

Gray nodded "we'll make a stretcher for Natsu and set up camp there."

Erza looked around at her friends before staring at the setting sun peeking through the canopy "Alright, everyone let's move out." She said with a grimace.

* * *

><p><em>Laxus's Squad<em>

_After the battle with the unknown mages, Gajeel discovered that the warehouse contained huge amounts of lacrima which can be implanted to give humans magic. After searching the warehouse and finding no other clues, Laxus's squad left the hidden warehouse._

_BOOM._

_The door to the warehouse is viciously kicked open to reveal Gajeel carrying Levy, bridal style, followed by the rest of Laxus's squad. As the mages exited the shadows of the warehouse, heat, and humidity of the jungle hit the group like a brick wall. The group was surprised to see the setting sun casting mottled shadows through the trees._

"Damn it Gajeel…" Laxus growled, "If you're going to be so damn loud I'll kill you myself" the Lightning-Mage said loudly.

"Just try sparky…" replied the Iron-Dragon Slayer smirking in the direction of his squad-leader, before glancing down, tenderly at the tiny mage in his arms.

Laxus, reminded that Gajeel was holding Levy, stopped himself from frying the Iron-Dragon Slayer with lightning, and took a deep breath.

Advancing to the front of the group and turning around to address them all at once, Laxus began to speak. "Alright squad, we need to set up camp before the sun goes down…" the mage said, gesturing to the long shadows all around them.

"There could still be enemies around, so be quiet…" Laxus's eyes shot daggers at his fellow Dragon-Slayer before continuing. "We'll find a safe spot to set up for the night and make contact with our friends."

Looking at his holo-map, Laxus found a clearing almost right beside the group's current location.

"It turns out that there's a clearing not far from here" Laxus stated. "We should make it in a couple of hours tops."

Groaning loudly, the squad began their trek through the jungle.

_A few hours later…_

_As Laxus's squad approached the clearing, the sun had set leaving the air fresh and cool in its wake. Trudging through the jungle with Levy in his arms Gajeel looks up to see bright white stars twinkling in the midnight-blue sky. _

After finally arriving at their destination, Elfman, Bisca and Alzack dropped their equipment bags on the soft soil and collapsed beside them exhausted, lying face down on the grass.

Gajeel however, continued standing and surveying the area, checking for any blind-spots and possible ambush sites.

"Gajeel…" a voice rose from the Dragon-Slayers arms "You can put me down if you want…."

The normally fearless Dragon-Slayer jumped, startled by the voice.

Looking down he saw Levy looking sleepily up at him, her head resting against his chest.

Grunting once in consent, he bent down slowly and gently placed her on the damp grass.

Unfurling both hers and his sleeping bags he lifted her up once again and lay her down on her sleeping bag.

"Thank you Gajeel…" Levy said quietly before yawning widely and falling into another deep slumber.

Smiling slightly, Gajeel shook his head as though trying to regain focus.

"_I completely forgot I was holding her!"_ he thought in disbelief "_It just felt so natural I guess…." _Looking back over at the Solid-Script mage he shook his head once more, a wide smile on his face before settling down into his own sleeping bag under to serenely beautiful night sky.

Laxus, at this time was the only one in his squad still awake. He was anxiously awaiting a holo-call from Erza and sat on the edge of the clearing away from the rest of his group.

Finally, the small gold ring in his hands began to buzz and he quickly turned the band to initiate the call.

Erza: _"Laxus it's me…"_

Laxus: "I know, how are things with you so far?"

Erza: _"Not good… We managed to find an abandoned medical-facility in the jungle, but only found some dead end leads. After we left, Lucy tripped an anti-mage mine and Natsu was caught up in the explosion…"_

Laxus: "Shit… how is he?"

Erza: "_Not good… Wendy was able to do some very basic first-aid but he is still in critical condition and hasn't woken up yet…" *Muffled sobs can be heard in the background*_

Erza: _"How are things going on your end…?"_

Laxus: "Not as bad… We stumbled across a camouflaged warehouse in the middle of the jungle…"

Erza: "_A warehouse?! What was inside?"_

Laxus "Other than some stupid crystals, just a couple of assholes with cloaks… One of 'em stabbed Levy and Gajeel killed them all…"

Erza: _"He killed them ALL?" _

Laxus: "Yeah there were only about ten of them… but after Gajeel saw Levy get hurt he went into his Iron-Shadow form…. And it was all over after that."

Erza: _"You said something about crystals too, right?"_

Laxus: "Yeah… Gajeel said that these crystals were just like the one implanted inside me, and that they can be filled to give people magic."

Erza: "_Hmmm… What are they filling them with?"_

Laxus: "We don't know but this might be a big clue…"

Erza: _"Okay, I'll contact HQ about what we've found so far…"_

Laxus: "Okay, you guys stay safe."

Erza: _"You too."_

_*Click*_

Laxus ended the conversation with another turn of the ring and leaned back, sighing deeply.

Running his hand through his bright-yellow hair, he pondered all the information he had so far. "_Medical facilities? Warehouses? Lacrima? Hooded mages? What did it all mean?" _Laxus thought deeply for a few minutes before getting up slowly and heading to his sleeping bag.

"_Tomorrow…" _he thought to himself _"we'll learn more tomorrow,"_ Before lying down and quickly falling deep asleep.

_Some hours later…_

_Gajeel awoke with a loud snort. Checking the time, it was only one o'clock in the morning. But something felt strange… like the air was thick with the smell of death._

_Rolling over onto his side to face Levy, his heart froze. Standing ominously above his Shrimp was a figure cloaked in black looking down at her, its face hidden in a shadow. Inhaling sharply, Gajeel could smell the pungent odor of death and decay. Still frozen in place out of fear or some sort of magic, the hooded mage heard the sound of the Iron Dragon-Slayer sniff the air. Turning slowly to face him, the figure slid back its hood to reveal a face straight out of a nightmare. The pale face (if one could call it that) was hideously deformed with scratches and scars covering nearly every inch of it. Two huge eyes, pitch black, stared out at him from inside sunken eye sockets. Blood stains could be seen on and around the lips and mouth, which slowly formed into a horrifying smile. _

_Before Gajeel could react, the creature whispered something under its breath and disappeared like a voice in the wind. _

Klick: Military lingo for a kilometer.


End file.
